contempt, and the latter of veneration. Persons of the first class, instead of glorying in their own wisdom or liberality, and vilifying those, who shun their foolish and destructive paths, ought rather to despise and abhor themselves. Instead of reproaching religion, as making men whimsical or mad, they ought to revere it, as that which eminently exalts and perfects the human character. Instead of fearing to embrace it, lest it should contract their minds, or sink their spirits, they should eagerly répair to it, as the best source of rational improvement and comfort; for happy is the man that findeth this wisdom, and the man who getteth this understanding,

Finally, Let good men, however poor and illiterate, afflicted or despised, be comforted and animated by the thought, that they have made a wise and happy choice, and that their wisdom will ere long be confessed and rewarded in the view of the assembled universe. In the mean time let such highly favoured souls pity, and labour to reform an infatuated world. Let them endeavour to bring their sinful neighbours, and especially their beloved children and friends, to that knowledge and fear of the Lord, which is the perfection of wisdom. Let them earnestly pray and hope for that blessed day, when the doctrine and spirit of the gospel shall impart true wisdom, virtue, and joy to the whole family of mankind.

Sermon X.

On the Pleasures of Religion.

PROV. XXIV. 13, 14.

My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the hon eycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: so shall the knowledge of wisdom be to thy soul. When thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

THE main design of the Sacred Scriptures is to lead

men to the knowledge, love, and practice of true piety and virtue, and, thereby to advance them to the proper perfection and felicity of their nature. This is eminently the scope of the book of Proverbs, and of the words just recited in particular; in which the wise and inspired Solomon most pathetically urges mankind, especially the young, to the acquisition of wisdom, or true religion, and enforces the exhortation by representing the sweetness and pleasantness of it. This he beautifully illustrates and recommends by the simile of honey and the honeycomb, than which nothing was sweeter or more delightful to the taste; and one of the principal excellencies of Canaan, that glory of all lands, was, that it flowed with milk and honey. By representing the pleasantness of religion, therefore, by this comparison, he intimates that the enjoyment of it will afford the highest satisfaction and the most exquisite delight.

The text presents this important observation, that true religion is worthy of our earnest desire and pursuit, not only on account of its future and endless re

ward, but also for the sake of the pleasure and satisfaction, which immediately attend it.

By true religion, in this discourse, we intend, not the religion of the superstitious Pharisee, the sour bigot, or the wild enthusiast; but the rational, fervent, and practical piety of the sincere Christian; or such a just and impressive sense of the Deity, as suitably influences both the heart and the conduct; as engages the subject to a cheerful and steady performance of the various duties, he owes to his Creator, to his Redeemer, to his fellow-creatures, and to himself.

Now it is easy to show that religion, in this rational and scriptural view of it, is indeed sweeter than honey, or the honeycomb; or that it is an immediate source of the most pure and exalted pleasures.

To pre-engage your attention to this proposition, let me observe, that there is no one artifice, by which the father of lies, the grand deceiver and destroyer of men, has more successfully promoted his cause, than by painting religion in a gloomy and forbidding attitude, and hereby prejudicing mankind, especially the young, against this apprehended dreadful foe to human comfort and delight. And many of Satan's children have industriously laboured to strengthen this prejudice, by clothing religion in the most disgusting and frightful dress; by describing it as a compound of vulgar superstition and priestly deception; of needless scrupularity and monkish austerity; while some of its honest but misjudging friends have unhappily contributed to the same prejudice, by carrying into their religious system a rigid and morose, or a melancholy and desponding spirit.

The public teachers of religion, therefore, cannot do it more important service, than by vindicating it from those false and injurious aspersions; and holding it up in its native and attractive charms, as the soul of human

happiness. Let me then request the candid attention of all, and PARTICULARLY OF THE YOUTHFUL PART OF THIS AUDIENCE, while we attempt to illustrate the sweetness of religion.

In the first place, religion gives us the best enjoyment of our temporal blessings; for it teaches, or includes a right estimation, and the wisest improvement of them; which is the directest way to extract and enjoy their sweetness. It subdues that immoderate estimation of temporal good, which forever hinders the true enjoyment of it; which creates a feverish ardour, a tormenting impatience in pursuing it, a slavish anxiety in possessing it, disappointment and loathing in the fruition, and vexatious uneasiness in the loss of it. Religious wisdom dictates a rational, calm, and temperate use of the bounties of Heaven. It enables us to enjoy them without satiety, and to possess them without anxiety; to seek them without impatience, and to lose them without despair. It greatly enlarges the sphere, and improves the relish, of our common enjoyments; for it keeps both body and mind in a right posture for them; it elevates and crowns the pleasure, which they naturally afford, by bringing to the entertainment a sound, incorrupt mind, a thankful, contented, and cheerful heart; a heart, which adores and enjoys God in all these streams of his beneficence. Thus it adds intellectual and spiritual to earthly joys, and gives a pure, sentimental fruition of the most common objects and enjoy

ments.

What a rich flavour must this impart to all the blessings, with which we are loaded; to the various sweets of health and ease, of food and raiment, of rest and security; to the satisfaction resulting from agreeable connexions, delicate friendship, peaceful habitations, prosperous business; to the pleasure, which we take in be

holding the shining sun, the descending rain, the flowers of spring, the ripened stores of summer and autumn! How is the delight of all these unspeakably heightened, when we see them all streaming down to us from the overflowing goodness of a generous, affectionate Friend, who regards us with wonderful kindness, and to whom our hearts are supremely attached! What sweetness must this infuse into our daily pleasures and our nightly slumbers. "Thou hast put

gladness in my heart," says an ancient saint, "more, ⚫than in the time, when their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety."

In the second place, religion denies us no pleasure, but such as directly tends to sorrow. The gratifications, which it prohibits, are either very sordid and polluting, or very dangerous and destructive. What we commonly call unlawful pleasures, are many of them enjoyments in themselves innocent and useful, but procured by unwarrantable means, or enjoyed in a wrong manner; that is, either obtained by injustice, or abused by intemperance. But certainly neither injustice, nor intemperance has any real pleasure annexed to it. On the contrary, unless a man have a very unnatural temper of mind and body, injustice must be painful to the former as well, as intemperance to the latter. Those pleasures, then, which men seek, and fancy they enjoy, under the banner of vice, may be equally found, yea enjoyed with great adyantage, under the standard and regulations of Christian virtue. And if religion forbids to her votaries drunkenness and uncleanness, falsehood and unrighteousness, envy and slander, malice and revenge; it is because these vices would deprive them of true pleasure, and subject them to constant pain, even

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